St. Francisville revisited

[bixaorellana]

*sniffle* Thank you so much, Casimira! Getting this unexpected report from someone who knows the place just means the world.

[casimira]

I had to do a double take on your Grandmother's house because I knew it was Tudor and next to the old hardware store of which the family name is retained with a faded patina.
Upon revisiting this thread I realized it was the picket fence you posted about that had me all turned around.
What were they thinking?
Had there not been a festival going on we would have stopped for a cuppa tea at one of the cafes.
Just too any people and Xmas music blaring.
Some other time perhaps.

[bixaorellana]

I understand that they needed a fence since that property is bordered by streets on two sides. But yeah, the picket fence just doesn't fit with the house. Probably the preservation society or something decreed it. I can't say anything bad about the people who live there now. My brother Jimmie went through St. F. and was standing in front of the house just staring at it. The lady of the hous came out to see why. When he told her who he was, she invited him in to look around. My grandfather used to write on the walls of his warehouse or inside closets -- special stuff, or just comments like a date followed by "hot as hell". In the hall bathroom, for instance, is written a date in 1952 followed by, "Mary Ann and kids left for Alaska." Lo and behold, when Jimmie went in the house, all that writing was still there. The lady told him they just couldn't bear to paint over it.

[casimira]

That truly speaks well of them. They will likely fit right in with the small village lifestyle and Southern hospitality I know I received there.

[lugg]

I really enjoyed looking at this thread again- Im still fascinated by the cypress knees even though I've now seen them myself a few times since this report.

[bixaorellana]

“The Story of a Building” focuses on the Old Benevolent Society Restoration Committee’s mission to restore the Old Benevolent Society building and make it an active educational and gathering space for the entire community of West Feliciana.

[bixaorellana]

The presenter's voice in this video should be against the law, but look how my sleepy small town has changed ~
www.wbrz.com/news/one-tank-trips-st-francisville-s-small-town-charm

[kerouac2]

Looking good. That chirpy reporter should attract a lot of people.

[whatagain]

Some great pics here.

We are thinking of going to New Orleans in April.

[bixaorellana]

I am ambivalent about the new St. Francisville, which to me sort of erases the old St.F. Of course I've always been ambivalent about the old one, too. I have happy memories of people and times there, but there's a dark side to it as well.

My two siblings closest in age to me both responded to the article & video in reply #66 by saying how great it is that the place is revitalized. As a person who left a city she loved after 25 years because I hated the self-conscious fervor necessary for a place to have that kind of vitalization & popularity, I have trouble whole heartedly agreeing that it's a good thing. But time does march on & the shiny new St. F holds a somewhat horrified fascination for me.

My brother's other comment was, "But where are the Black people?" I pointed out that as recently as the original date of this report (Oct. 2012) there weren't many people of any stripe around. Further, we were more aware of that part of the population because my grandfather had a large Black customer base and we could remember as kids when the store would fill up on Saturdays with rural customers.